Description

Mackinaw is a perfect information two-player abstract game where players stack and trap tokens while they try to move their pieces to the other side of the board. It is a variable board size game, the most accessible sizes being a 3x6 grid (9 pieces per side) or a 4x8 grid (16 pieces per side). Its closely related to checkers/draughts and can be played with flat tokens.

The object of the game is to move your pieces to the the other player's starting position (one piece in each square on the other side of the board). Players take turns moving one piece one space at a time, either forwards, left, or right, but not backwards or diagonal. You cannot undo a move you did on your last turn. Your piece may move on top of other pieces. The pieces underneath are trapped and cannot move until freed when the piece above moves off. If you have an available move you must take it, you cannot pass your turn. If you cannot move, your opponent may keep moving until a move becomes available. Once a piece passes the mid-line and lands in the opposite side of the board with no pieces beneath it, it is 'home' and cannot be moved again. The first player to get all their pieces 'home' wins the game.

Mackinaw was invented in 2019 by Tom Sutton, a Canadian animator and artist. It's name comes from the Ontario slang word for a checkered flannel coat; the first versions of the game were played with dark and light wooden blocks and often resembled the same pattern.